Saturday, November 26, 2016

Sanctuary in the city

A few weeks back, Tim and I spent some time at the Ogden Nature Center. It had been many years since I last visited, and I am grateful we went. This place is truly an oasis of nature in the middle of a business/industrial area and close to an interstate. We saw lots of birds (robins, chickadees, belted kingfishers, Canada geese), a few mule deer, a feral cat, and dozens of handmade bird houses spread over acres of forest and meadow. The visitor center (which is a green building) is wonderful as well with loads of informative books, wildlife- and nature-related gifts, and a classroom where they teach all sorts of fun things such as how to make a felted owl. It's a lovely welcome to the preserve as it appears to almost spring forth from the natural landscape surrounding it.

There
are also several birds of prey in residence due to injury and/or human
imprinting that requires them to live in captivity. While I enjoy
getting to see animals much closer than one likely could in the wild, part of me feels tremendous sadness that they are
confined. I do, however, understand that these particular birds
wouldn't survive in the wild on their own. They also provide
educational opportunities for ornithologists, conservationists, and the
general public. If you love birds, here are a few of the species you'd
find: barn owl, raven, peregrine falcon, golden eagle, bald eagle,
screech owl, kestrel. Please check their website to find out about educational opportunities and scheduled activities. I wish we lived closer so I could volunteer here.

There's something rather soul-stirring in making eye contact with a bald eagle.